Communism has often been accused of creating a “shortage economy”. Anyone familiar with Polish history will have heard stories about, seen photos of or directly experienced long queues outside shop fronts for a scarce collection of products within. What’s less known is that these shortages – and the resultant government rationing – extended all the way to the petrol bowser. Car owners in People’s Poland were only entitled to a certain number of litres of petrol a year. Once they’d used up their allocation, their car immediately became useless. The only alternative was to source petrol on the black market, which was risky due to the severe penalties if caught. In July 1988, the government finally made ‘commercial’ petrol available, known as ‘komercyjna’. It was exactly the same product but could be purchased outside of the rationing system for an exorbitant price. Even then, komercyjna was sold in just 64 gas stations around Poland... So it’s a good thing Communism collapsed roughly a year later, and the idea of Mad Max-style petrol shortages began the transition from reality to a ridiculous memory.
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